The Supermax, officially the Designated Veteran Extension, lets a player with 7-9 years of NBA service qualify for the 35% max tier years before the normal 10-year mark, if they've hit star-level accolades and re-sign with the team that already has their rights.
A player becomes Supermax-eligible after 7, 8, or 9 years of service if they've recently done at least one of the following: won MVP in one of the previous three seasons, made an All-NBA team in the previous season or two of the previous three, or won Defensive Player of the Year in the previous season or two of the previous three.
The Supermax doesn't unlock a higher percentage than any other 35% max deal. What it actually buys is years: a qualifying star can lock in that top tier well ahead of when they'd otherwise be eligible.
This is the part that makes the Supermax a retention tool rather than a normal free agency path: it's only available when a player re-signs with the team that drafted them, or that acquired their rookie-scale rights by trade. A star can't walk into free agency and sign a Supermax with a brand new team, only their own team can offer it.
Not every name below necessarily used the Supermax path specifically, some simply reached the 10-year mark, but this is what the top of the market actually looks like at this tier this season.
Not a higher percentage, no. It unlocks the same 35% max tier that a 10-year veteran would eventually qualify for anyway, just years earlier. The value is in the timing, not a bigger number.
No. The Designated Veteran Extension only applies when a player re-signs with the team that originally drafted them, or that acquired their rookie-scale rights by trade. It's specifically a retention tool, not something available on the open market.
The name comes from the total contract value, not the salary percentage. Because it can be signed years earlier and locks in more total seasons at the 35% rate, the full deal ends up worth more money over its life than waiting to sign a shorter max later would be.